I don't really go on manhattan reefs much so I'm not sure. I found the link from the person from australia that posted it on your led group buy thread here.
new led lights
- Thread starter fishome25
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I don't really go on manhattan reefs much so I'm not sure. I found the link from the person from australia that posted it on your led group buy thread here.
The upgrade was a no brainer for me. I'm due to change my bulbs which cost $65 each, now I can sell my mh fixture. Its almost a free upgrade at the first year, not even considering electric saving and future yearly bulb replacements. At this price I wouldn't even think about buying a new mh fixture, it would cost more than LED.
I'm not saying these lights are better than mh, especially for sps. I'm not saying they aren't better. I'm saying at this point its too close to for me to notice a difference and justify the additional cost of running mh.
I'm not saying these lights are better than mh, especially for sps. I'm not saying they aren't better. I'm saying at this point its too close to for me to notice a difference and justify the additional cost of running mh.
I believe they are.
pecan2phat
Active member
The group buy on MR is also for 1-watt LEDs, the only product on the market that has 3+ watt LEDs in their units are the Aqua Illuminations or the defunct PFO Solaris.
The units are cheap enough to experiment with but everyone needs to realize that there is no controllability with these units. As an example, if your control unit failed on a PFO Solaris, it would run $500 to replace the unit and does not include the mother board associated with this.
I would say 1/3rd is the cost of the actual controller for any controllable unit on the market. Focal lenses is also another cost at anywhere from $0.45 to a dollar and change for each LED utilized so you can do the math.
You can buy on/off retro 1-watt 36 blue/white LED panels with cheap focal lenses already wired for $155, there is no heat sinks or cooling fans, just the LEDs mounted to an aluminum board with focal lenses and a laptop power supply so the chinese units fair much better in terms of cost.
The units are cheap enough to experiment with but everyone needs to realize that there is no controllability with these units. As an example, if your control unit failed on a PFO Solaris, it would run $500 to replace the unit and does not include the mother board associated with this.
I would say 1/3rd is the cost of the actual controller for any controllable unit on the market. Focal lenses is also another cost at anywhere from $0.45 to a dollar and change for each LED utilized so you can do the math.
You can buy on/off retro 1-watt 36 blue/white LED panels with cheap focal lenses already wired for $155, there is no heat sinks or cooling fans, just the LEDs mounted to an aluminum board with focal lenses and a laptop power supply so the chinese units fair much better in terms of cost.
I thought that all the 3W LED used in aquarium lighting actually is 1W, but the suppliers like PFO overdrove it to 3W and brought unexpected problems.
Heat disipation is a major issue for all LED lighting suppliers. LED bulbs can easily last more than 50,000 hours, but questionable for the other related parts.
Hope LIRA or MR Swap can arrange some experts like Sanjay, Dana Riddle, Chris Clough of AI, or Wingo to be our speakers to clarify all the confusions.
James
Heat disipation is a major issue for all LED lighting suppliers. LED bulbs can easily last more than 50,000 hours, but questionable for the other related parts.
Hope LIRA or MR Swap can arrange some experts like Sanjay, Dana Riddle, Chris Clough of AI, or Wingo to be our speakers to clarify all the confusions.
James
Its been about a month and a half and I just wanted to give an update. The lights seem to be working well. My coral are growing just as quickly as under my halides.
The par reading was taken last meeting. James has the exact results but apparantly the results were not good compared to halides. If there is such a big difference in par readings why is there no difference in growth rates?
The par reading was taken last meeting. James has the exact results but apparantly the results were not good compared to halides. If there is such a big difference in par readings why is there no difference in growth rates?
I witnessed the par readings and they were no way near what the manufacturer is claiming on the link you provided. I guess we'll need someone else to chime in on why your corals are still experiencing the same growth as with the MH lighting. A few questions: 1) What is the depth of your tank? 2) What type of corals are you keeping? and 3) Where are they located in relation to proximity to the lights?
Frank
Frank
Good questions Frank. I feel like my tank is good for comparing the light because I'm still running mh over 2 sections of the tank so its really a side by side comparison without different water qualities altering the results.
1. The tank is a standard 180, so 25.6". I have a dsb so lets say 20" to the bottom of the tank.
2. The tank has mostly soft corals and rbtas. There is one acro frag under the leds that had browned out (due to water quality issues before the light switch) and now its tips are blue again.
3. I have xenia on the bottom of the tank that is just exploding with growth. Now I know one can argue that its xenia, its supposed to grow fast. But never-the-less, it still needs good quality light. The xenia is growing just as fast under my leds at the bottom of my tank as it does under the mh on the other side of the tank.
Maybe we will learn more at the next meeting, but I'm not too convinced that par numbers should be given as much importance as they have. I think witnessing actually results is more convincing than #'s on a meter.
caad3, I can't comment much on the warranty since I haven't needed to call upon it yet. It comes with a 3 year warranty. With (I think) one way shipping included.
It may seem like I'm trying to defend a purchase that I made, but I'm really trying to look at these light unbiased. I supposed just time will tell.
The manufacturer sent me an email yesterday, the light is now available with seperate white and blue control.
1. The tank is a standard 180, so 25.6". I have a dsb so lets say 20" to the bottom of the tank.
2. The tank has mostly soft corals and rbtas. There is one acro frag under the leds that had browned out (due to water quality issues before the light switch) and now its tips are blue again.
3. I have xenia on the bottom of the tank that is just exploding with growth. Now I know one can argue that its xenia, its supposed to grow fast. But never-the-less, it still needs good quality light. The xenia is growing just as fast under my leds at the bottom of my tank as it does under the mh on the other side of the tank.
Maybe we will learn more at the next meeting, but I'm not too convinced that par numbers should be given as much importance as they have. I think witnessing actually results is more convincing than #'s on a meter.
caad3, I can't comment much on the warranty since I haven't needed to call upon it yet. It comes with a 3 year warranty. With (I think) one way shipping included.
It may seem like I'm trying to defend a purchase that I made, but I'm really trying to look at these light unbiased. I supposed just time will tell.
The manufacturer sent me an email yesterday, the light is now available with seperate white and blue control.
Matrajeous
Member
I have no experience with LEF lighting for aquariums, but I have been following this thread with interest. Is the wattage per gallon the same for LED's as other forms of lighting? what would the wattage-gallon ration be? and does LED lighting give off the vitamin necessities for coral? or do i need supplemental lighting as well? where else could i also be directed for information on LED's for aquarium lighting. Thanks guys
For more information, I would direct you to the meeting last friday. 
I'm new to leds as well but I'll answer to what I believe is true.
Watts per gallon is a meaningless value and you shouldn't be using it. There are too many variables for it to hold any value. Just the height of different tanks alone will render the value useless, add in the quality of the light and other things and there is really no way to use it. However I can answer you this way. I would say that my 120 watt led system is close to be equal to my 250 watt mh system. So I once again we can't go by watts per gallon because everytime you change lighting types the numbers will change.
LED's lights can be used as the only light on your reef tank. No supplemental lighting is needed.
I'm new to leds as well but I'll answer to what I believe is true. Watts per gallon is a meaningless value and you shouldn't be using it. There are too many variables for it to hold any value. Just the height of different tanks alone will render the value useless, add in the quality of the light and other things and there is really no way to use it. However I can answer you this way. I would say that my 120 watt led system is close to be equal to my 250 watt mh system. So I once again we can't go by watts per gallon because everytime you change lighting types the numbers will change.
LED's lights can be used as the only light on your reef tank. No supplemental lighting is needed.
pecan2phat
Active member
Chris (cb747) was expressing some interest in some inexpensive modules for his 180g. I'm sure if you crunch out the numbers he will check his x-mas stash.
He can probably light up his entire tank with 3 modules and the cost would be about a little bit more then one of my Pacific Sun module.
He can probably light up his entire tank with 3 modules and the cost would be about a little bit more then one of my Pacific Sun module.
pecan2phat
Active member
I looked back at some of the previous post and if my math is correct, for each unit from a 10 unit group by would be:
$179.61 - lamp
$ 26.47 - shipping for one unit
$ 2.60 - western union for one unit transaction fee
___________________________________________
$208.68 - for one lamp unit from the GB of 10 units
That is a good price just to light up even a fowlr tank. Figure out T5 cost setup, electrical consumption and bulb replacement cost.
$179.61 - lamp
$ 26.47 - shipping for one unit
$ 2.60 - western union for one unit transaction fee
___________________________________________
$208.68 - for one lamp unit from the GB of 10 units
That is a good price just to light up even a fowlr tank. Figure out T5 cost setup, electrical consumption and bulb replacement cost.
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